CHICAGO – He looked fine when I steered him toward a small corner in the bowels of the Arco Arena after the post-event press conference for the World Cup of Boxing late last Saturday night.
In a first-round TKO loss moments earlier, he took 19 of the 39 power punches that his foe threw with wild abandon. But looking at Rey ?Boom-Boom? Bautista, there was little evidence of the physical abuse.
He had no lumps. No cuts. No bruises.
All his wounds lay beneath.
His pride had been bruised. His heart sank, and it ached. More than he thought it ever could.
Inside the locker room, in the sad aftermath of his first pro loss, Boom-Boom was disconsolate. And when he spoke to his parents in Candijay, Bohol via cellular phone, the tears fell like rain on a dark September afternoon.
His eyes were still reddish when I handed him my phone for a live interview with dyAB. Blinking back tears, Rey faced the music as several thousand of his fans listened intently and exclusively on AM radio 1512.
?Please forgive me,? he pleaded in Cebuano. ?I got hit by a good shot. That?s what boxing is all about.?
Boom-Boom talked to dyAB anchorman Bob Malazarte for about five minutes. He apologized repeatedly, and he never offered a single excuse. He lost his undefeated record, but he kept his class and dignity.
Don?t be sorry, just don?t do it again, Boom-Boom.
Don?t leave yourself too open again. If you must stand in front of a hellish puncher like De Leon, move your head, for God?s sake. And when your corner tells you to box and choose your spots to engage, please listen.
As awful as his loss to De Leon is, it?s not the end of the world for Boom-Boom.
Sure, he will sink in the rankings, but he?s not going anywhere. He just signed a three-year deal with Golden Boy Promotions, and at age 21, he has a lot of time to recover, and hopefully, realize his dream to win a world title.
Boom-Boom said he was ashamed to go back home. And that he felt he let his World Cup teammates and his countrymen down.
Ashamed? Don?t be silly, Rey. You?ve done us proud. You fought like a contender, and you accepted your fate like a man.
Go home to Bohol, keep your head high and your spirits high. It?s dark right now, I know. But tomorrow always promises a new day. And a new day always brings fresh promises.
You only lost the WBO super bantamweight belt, Rey, you didn?t lose the love and support that the fans have given you since you turned pro in 2003.Use that to fuel your comeback.
Cry if you must, it?s good for the soul. But when the tears dry, go back to training.
Hit the bags harder. Run a mile longer. Spar extra rounds. And work on your defense.
Life is cruel, BoomBoom. But it rewards those who learn from their mistakes.
Z IS THE MAN. The eye doctor, who cleared Z to fight after a slight tear in his retina, was right. Z?s eyes can see clearly as proven by his 8th round TKO over Eric Ortiz.
In that one-sided affair, Z unleashed everything on the book?jabs, straights, hooks, overhands and uppercuts. And Buchoy did so consistently and effectively.
And while Gerry Pe?alosa?s upset was the shock of the night, Z?s triumph was the best performance of the World Cup. Viva Mndaue! Viva Z Gorres!
